The United States and Japan will step up their defence cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

Toy dog missing on the edge of space after UK launch

A massive search is underway for a cuddly toy lost in space, after it was launched into the stratosphere by a group of school kids in the UK.

Sam the dog was carried to the edge of space by a helium balloon as part of a science project for students from Morcambe Bay Community Primary School – but when the balloon floated back to earth Sam was nowhere to be found.

“Our GPS tracking equipment and live telemetry systems quickly enabled us to find the payload when it returned to earth near Burnley, but when we got there Sam was nowhere to be seen,” Chris Rose from SentIntoSpace.com told the UK Telegraph.

“Our footage indicates that one of the helium balloon tethers got tangled with the mascot when it burst at peak altitude and the freefall part of the flight commenced.

“We do not have any data on the aerodynamics of a toy dog or its terminal velocity, but we’re pretty sure Sam landed within a 40-50 mile radius of Burnley.”

He said the lovable toy could have landed in North Lancashire, or as far away as York, Sheffield or the Peak District.

Sam is the mascot of the English Lakes Hotels Resorts and Venues, which is now reportedly offering a reward for his safe return.